Rusney Castillo will make his major league debut for the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, according to manager John Farrell. He will be playing center field.
The 27-year-old Cuban defector was signed to a seven-year, $72.5 million contract late last month, and has spent time at three levels of the Red Sox minor league system. He is currently with Triple-A Pawtucket, which will play the final game of its season Tuesday night in the Triple-A National Championship Series.
Through ten minor league games, Castillo is batting .297. He has gone 11-37 at the plate with four runs batted in. He has also stolen two bases and walked five times.
Castillo is has been touted both for the speed of his bat through the strike zone and for his commanding presence on the base paths. He has an aggressive approach at the plate and while not a pure power hitter, he does have line drive power and has the potential for 20 home runs per season. Standing at five-foot-nine, he is strong for his size but generates much of his power through his bat speed.
Expectations will obviously be high for the rookie outfielder, but he is still making his debut in a relatively low pressure period for the Boston Red Sox. The team was mathematically eliminated from the playoffs last week, and has really been out of contention since July. For much of the last few months, the Sox have been testing their minor league talent. Castillo will be the latest member of that project. Castillo figures to play a central role in the Red Sox 2015 campaign.
The Red Sox just finished up a series against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, and will begin a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at 7:05 p.m. Rookie Anthony Ranaudo will be squaring off against Charlie Morton as the Pirates try to remain in good position for the playoffs.
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